NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2023

by | Dec 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2023

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the league reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to continue local broadcasts for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken upset the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 as Joey Daccord matched a franchise record with 42 saves for the win. Brandon Tanev and Jordan Eberle scored for the 11-14-9 Kraken (31 points), who move within three points of a wild card berth in the Western Conference. Blake Lizotte replied for the Kings (18-7-4), who remain in third place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kraken announced that center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured leg bone suffered during their game against the Dallas Stars earlier this week.

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (NHL Images)

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi scored for the fourth straight game and added two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The win vaulted the Jets (19-9-3) one point over the Dallas Stars into first place in the Central Division with 41 points. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for the 15-13-4 Red Wings (34 points), but they’ve dropped four straight games and slipped two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite missing 18 games with a knee injury, Vilardi has six goals and seven assists for 13 points in as many games. Meanwhile, Pierre-Luc Dubois (the player Vilardi was traded for this summer) has 12 points in 29 games in the first season of his eight-year, $68 million contract with the Kings.

As for the slumping Red Wings, they placed goaltender Ville Husso on injured reserve and signed netminder Michael Hutchinson to a one-year, two-way contract before the start of the holiday roster freeze on Dec. 20.

An overtime goal by Dylan Strome lifted the Washington Capitals over the New York Islanders 3-2. Darcy Kuemper stopped 30 shots while Hendrix Lapierre had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (16-9-4) as they moved into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 36 points. Hudson Fasching and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders (15-8-9) as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Capitals, they’re expected to sign defenseman Ethan Bear once the holiday roster freeze is lifted on Dec. 28. Bear participated in their optional morning skate yesterday.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: The NHL reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to continue local broadcasts to the end of 2023-24. This affects 11 franchises: the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.

It also ends those clubs’ agreements with Diamond, which filed for bankruptcy in March. The deal is similar to the one reached between Diamond and the NBA

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: cited a report in the Wall Street Journal indicating Amazon is discussing possible investment with Diamond Sports Group. If an agreement is reached, Amazon Prime Video would become the streaming home for regional broadcasts, including those of the Blue Jackets.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Dish Network has dropped the Golden Knights’regular-season games on channel Vegas 34 because of a carriage dispute. Those games are still available on other means, including the team’s streaming service KnightTime+.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, goaltender Logan Thompson is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lighting defenseman Mikhail Sergachev missed practice yesterday nursing an injured left foot. It’s uncertain if he’ll be able to participate in Thursday’s game against the Golden Knights.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers winger Connor Brown is expected to be a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Ex-Flyers forward Nolan Patrick has not retired from hockey. He was listed as a “Retired pro with significant NHL experience” in his profile with The Power Play, a hockey coaching and mentorship program. The site has since edited his profile to read that he’s a “4X NHL Pro with significant experience.”










NHL Rumor Mill – December 20, 2023

by | Dec 20, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 20, 2023

The Rangers hold onto first place in the Eastern Conference, Nikita Kucherov adds to his lead in the scoring race and Quinn Hughes becomes the first defenseman to reach 40 points this season. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2, improving their record to 22-7-1 and holding onto first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals, Erik Gustafsson collected three assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots for the Rangers. Auston Matthews scored twice to take over sole possession of the league goal-scoring lead (25) but his Leafs dropped to 16-7-6 and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 38 points, ending their nine-game points streak.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice in a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. With 54 points, he holds a six-point lead over Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for first place in the league scoring race. Steven Stamkos and Nick Paul each had three points for the Lightning (15-13-5) as they hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 35 points. Justin Faulk scored for the 15-15-1 Blues (31 points) as they sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

The Vancouver Canucks extended their points streak to seven games by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Quinn Hughes collected two assists to become the first defenseman to reach 40 points this season (41) as his Canucks improved to 22-9-2 (46 points) and sit one point behind the league-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Predators goaltender Juuse Saros got the hook after giving up five goals on 19 shots as his club sits at 18-14-0, holding the first Western wild-card spot with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks made winger Andrei Kuzmenko a healthy scratch. It’s the third time since November that he’s been scratched from the roster, which could stoke the trade rumors that have swirled about him in recent weeks.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes. Michael Bunting had a goal and two assists while Sebastian Aho collected three assists for the Hurricanes (17-12-3), who own the first Eastern wild-card berth with 37 points. William Carrier tallied twice for the 21-7-5 Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored in his first game after missing six contests with an upper-body injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko scored a natural hat trick within a span of 8:07 as his club spanked the Buffalo Sabres 9-4. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists for the 11-17-5 Blue Jackets while Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for the 13-17-3 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo winger Jack Quinn was held scoreless in his season debut as he returned from offseason Achilles tendon surgery. Sabres head coach Don Granato is feeling the heat from unhappy Buffalo fans as they were chanting for him to be fired during this contest. Kyle Okposo and Tage Thompson spoke up following the game to defend Granato but those fans calling for his firing could get their wish if this club doesn’t turn things around soon.

The Minnesota Wild upset the Boston Bruins 4-3. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, including the winning goal in overtime, while Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his 549th career victory with a 40-save performance as the Wild improved to 13-13-4. David Pastrnak netted two goals and Pavel Zacha collected two assists for the Bruins (19-5-6) as they sit one point back of the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury needs three more wins to surpass Patrick Roy for second place on the all-time list for wins by NHL goalies. The Wild played without Mats Zuccarello as he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Zacha and defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned to the Bruins lineup after missing multiple games with upper-body injuries.

An overtime goal by Owen Tippett lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the New Jersey Devils 3-2 as they extended their points streak to nine games. Ryan Poehling scored two goals for the Flyers (18-10-3) as they hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points. Michael McLeod and Jesper Bratt replied for the 16-12-2 Devils (34 points) as they sit one point behind the Lightning for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Flyers center Nolan Patrick has retired to work with a hockey coaching and mentorship program founded by former NHL player Jayce Hawryluk. Patrick, 25, was chosen second overall by the Flyers in the 2017 NHL draft but his playing career was derailed by concussions and a migraine disorder. He last played in 2021-22 with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Second-period special teams goals by Anders Lee, Bo Horvat (both on the power play) and Simon Holmstrom (shorthanded) gave the New York Islanders a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. With the win, the 15-8-8 Islanders (38 points) sit one point behind the Flyers in third place in the Metro Divison. The Oilers, meanwhile, have lost three straight and dropped to 13-15-1.

The Chicago Blackhawks upset the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 as Tyler Johnson snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period. Connor Bedard had two assists and Ryan Donato potted a goal and an assist for the 10-20-1 Blackhawks. Valeri Nichushkin scored twice and Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to extend his points streak to 16 games for the 19-11-2 Avalanche, who remain in second place in the Central Division with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews called out his teammates following this game. “I think we’ve got some guys who think they’re playing well, and I think they’re kidding themselves at this point,” he said, adding, “It’s tough to play in this league when you don’t know where your teammates are gonna be.”

Coach Jacques Martin’s return behind the Ottawa Senators bench didn’t go well as his club blew a three-goal lead to fall 4-3 to the Arizona Coyotes. The Senators ran up a 3-0 lead in the first but collapsed in the third period with Michael Kesselring netting the game-winner for the 16-13-2 Coyotes, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 34 points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 34 shots for the Senators, who’ve lost five straight and remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-16-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This wasn’t the homecoming Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun would’ve liked. It was his first game against his former team in Arizona since his trade to Ottawa last season.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the San Jose Sharks 4-1. Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as his club improved to 18-6-4 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 40 points. Kaapo Kahkonen turned aside 35 shots for the 9-20-3 Sharks as they slipped back into last place in the overall standings with 21 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defensemen Calen Addison and Jan Rutta missed this game. Addison is dealing with a lower-body injury while Rutta has an undisclosed illness.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2023

by | Dec 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2023

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues moving up among the all-time points leaders, the three stars of the week are announced and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke a 3-3 tie in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Crosby also collected an assist to move into 13th place among the NHL’s all-time points leaders with 1,535. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel also had a goal and an assist for the 14-13-3 Penguins (31 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Ryan Hartman, Jake Middleton and Vinni Lettieri scored for the Wild (12-13-4) as they overcame a 3-0 deficit before Crosby netted the game-winner.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby will soon overtake Joe Thornton, who sits 12th with 1,539 points. He’s also within range of Ray Bourque (1,579) and Phil Esposito (1,590).

An overtime goal by Justin Barron lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. Josh Anderson and Christian Dvorak gave the Canadiens a 2-0 lead but Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti replied for the Jets to force the extra period. The Canadiens improved to 14-13-4 (32 points) to sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Jets fell to 18-9-3 and slipped into third place in the Central Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey left the game early in the third period after taking a puck to the face but got stitched up and returned 11 minutes later.

Speaking of the Central Division, the Dallas Stars regained first place (40 points) by nipping the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on an overtime goal by Thomas Harley. Matt Duchene tallied twice and collected an assist as the Stars improved to 18-8-4. Matty Beniers and Tomas Tatar each had a goal and an assist for the 10-14-9 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer indicated that starting goaltender Jake Oettinger is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 33 shots in a 3-1 upset of the Florida Panthers. Mikael Backlund broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as the Flames have won three of their last four and improved to 13-14-5 (31 points), sitting one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers (18-11-2) as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Panthers placed forward Anton Lundell on injured reserve.

The Anaheim Ducks held off the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. Adam Henrique and Troy Terry each had a goal and an assist for the 12-19-0 Ducks, who’ve won two straight games. Alex DeBrincat tallied twice and Patrick Kane had two assists for the Red Wings (15-12-4), who have lost three straight and sit just outside the final Eastern wild-card spot with 34 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin returned to action after missing the last four games with a head injury. However, goaltender Ville Husso left this game with an injured right leg.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko and New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 17.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed winger Patrik Laine (fractured clavicle) on injured reserve.

TSN: The Boston Bruins have loaned forward Matthew Poitras to Canada for the upcoming 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. Poitras, 19, has 13 points in 27 games with the Bruins this season.

TSN: The Carolina Hurricanes signed free-agent goaltender Aaron Dell to a professional tryout offer.










Senators Fire Head Coach D.J. Smith, Bring Back Jacques Martin As Interim Coach

by | Dec 18, 2023

Senators Fire Head Coach D.J. Smith, Bring Back Jacques Martin As Interim Coach

The Ottawa Senators announced they’ve relieved head coach D.J. Smith and assistant coach Davis Payne of their duties.

Jacques Martin takes over as head coach on an interim basis. Former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson joins the staff as an assistant coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This has been building for several weeks. Coming off four straight losses, the Senators have floundered with just three wins in their last 10 games. Despite holding several games in hand over their Eastern Conference rivals, they’re mired at the bottom of the Conference standings.

Ottawa Senators interim head coach Jacques Martin. (NHL.com)

Smith was hired by former Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, who was fired on Nov. 1. The club failed to reach the playoffs in his four previous seasons behind their bench.

It was excusable for most of those seasons as the club was rebuilding with young talent. This season, however, there was an expectation that the Senators would finally break through as a playoff contender.

They had a .500 record on Dec. 5 but they’ve managed just one win in their last six games since then. That slump threatens to derail their playoff hopes as they failed to gain ground in the standings.

Martin was hired earlier this month as a special advisor to the coaching staff. Many observers, however, suggested that he was brought in as Smith’s potential replacement. He has 17 years of NHL head coaching experience, including nine seasons behind the Senators bench from 1995-96 to 2003-04.

During that period, the Senators had four 100-plus points season, with Martin winning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 1998-99. He was also an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins during their Stanley Cup seasons 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Alfredsson, meanwhile, is stepping behind an NHL bench in a coaching role for the first time. Revered by Senators fans and respected by his former teammates, he spent 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Senators, 13 of those as team captain and nine seasons playing for Martin. Their all-time leader in goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108), he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.

Martin and Alfredsson face a difficult task in reversing the Senators’ slide.

Stocked with stars such as Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux and Jakob Chuchrun, the Senators have no problem scoring goals, sitting 10th overall as of Dec. 17 with a goals-per-game of 3.35.

Keeping the puck out of their net, however, is another matter. They possess the seventh-highest goals against per game (3.42) and the second-worst penalty-killing percentage (72.4). In short, they lack reliable goaltending and a sound defensive system.

Defensive hockey was Martin’s bread-and-butter in his previous head-coaching tours with the Senators, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens. It will be interesting to see if he can get this version of the Sens to buy into his system.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 18, 2023

by | Dec 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 18, 2023

Nathan MacKinnon extends his point streaks, Jack Eichel establishes a Golden Knights record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected two assists in a 6-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. MacKinnon extended his season-opening home points streak to 16 games and his overall points streak to 15 games as the Avalanche (19-10-2) reclaimed first place in the Central Division with 40 points. Tomas Hertl scored both goals for the 9-19-3 Sharks while Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch from this contest.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is having an MVP-worthy season thus far. With 47 points, he’s now five behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who leads all scorers with 52 points.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist to lead his club over the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Mark Stone collected three assists for the Golden Knights (21-6-5), who sit atop the overall standings with 47 points. Josh Norris had a goal and an assist for the 11-15-0 Senators, who’ve dropped four straight and remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 22 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel extended his points streak to a franchise-record 10 games. Meanwhile, Vegas goaltender Adin Hill left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. It was his first game since being sidelined for the last seven with a lower-body injury.

A hat trick by Adam Henrique powered the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-1 upset of the New Jersey Devils. Alex Killorn had a goal and two assists for the 11-19-1 Ducks as they snapped a five-game losing skid. Michael McLeod replied for the 16-12-1 Devils (33 points), who sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

The Vancouver Canucks netted three goals in the second period to hold off the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. J.T. Miller picked up two assists as he leads his teammates with 45 points to sit third in the league scoring race. The Canucks (21-9-2) sit second in the Western Conference with 44 points. Nick Foligno tallied twice for the Blackhawks (9-20-1), who sit at the bottom of the overall standings with 19 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Brock Boeser netted his 23rd goal of the season to move into a tie with Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the league lead in goals. Meanwhile, the ranks of injured Blackhawks is growing as winger Joey Anderson left this game with an upper-body injury. He joins Seth Jones (left shoulder), Alex Vlasic (upper body), Andreas Athanasiou (groin), Colin Blackwell (lower body), Jarred Tinordi (concussion) and Taylor Hall (season-ending ACL injury) on the sidelines.

A shootout goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Washington Capitals a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves for the Capitals (15-9-4), who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 34 points and two games in hand over the Detroit Red Wings, who also have 34 points. Sebastian Aho scored for the 16-12-3 Hurricanes, who’ve dropped six of their last eight games and cling to the first Eastern wild-card spot with 35 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger TJ Oshie was a late scratch from this game with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The Canes got some good news as goalie Frederik Andersen was cleared to resume skating after being sidelined for six weeks with a blood clot issue.

IN GOALIE NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom was activated off injured reserve after missing seven games with a fractured finger. Goalie Dustin Wolf has been assigned to their AHL affiliate.

LA KINGS INSIDER: The Kings placed goaltender Pheonix Copley on long-term injury reserve with an undisclosed injury. They called up David Rittich from their AHL affiliate over the weekend. Copley suffered the injury during practice on Friday.

CBS SPORTS: Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. No updates were released regarding his condition.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils recalled netminder Nico Daws from their AHL affiliate as Vitek Vanecek is not feeling “physically well”, though it is not related to any illness.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 17, 2023

by | Dec 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 17, 2023

The Devils’ Jack Hughes reaches a scoring milestone, the Rangers overtake the Bruins atop the Eastern Conference standings, the Leafs thump the Penguins and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes tallied a hat trick, including his 100th career NHL goal, in a 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jesper Bratt collected three assists for the 16-11-1 Devils (33 points), who’ve won eight of their last 10 games and sit one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Kirill Marchenko netted his 10th goal of the season for the 10-17-5 Blue Jackets.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NHL Images).

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck scored both goals (including the winner in overtime) to lead his club over the Boston Bruins 2-1. Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 shots for the win as the Rangers (21-7-1) took over first place in the Eastern Conference from the Bruins. Trent Frederic scored for the Bruins (19-5-5) while teammate David Pastrnak was ejected in the second period for boarding Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both teams have 43 points but the Rangers hold the top spot in the East with the most wins. Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller returned to action after missing two games for personal reasons.

The Toronto Maple Leafs crushed the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-0. Martin Jones kicked out 38 shots for the shutout while Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi each picked up three points while Matthew Knies had a Gordie Howe hat trick. The Leafs (16-6-6) extended their points streak to nine games and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry got the hook after giving up four goals on 14 shots as the Penguins slipped to 13-13-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This humbling wasn’t Jarry’s fault. This was the Penguins’ worst performance as a team this season. Speaking of the Penguins, they put winger Bryan Rust on injured yesterday yesterday. Meanwhile, Leafs center Auston Matthews and defenseman T.J. Brodie missed this game due to illness and activated defenseman Timothy Liljegren off injured reserve.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 35 shots in a 2-1 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks. Mats Zuccarello had the game-winner as the Wild improved to 12-12-4, going 7-2-0 since John Hynes took over as head coach. Teddy Blueger scored for the 20-9-2 Canucks (42 points), who sit three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference standings.

The Winnipeg Jets took over first place in the Central Division with 38 points (18-9-2) by dropping the Colorado Avalanche 6-2. Gabriel Vilardi tallied two goals while Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for the wins. Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists to extend his points streak to 14 games as the Avalanche dropped to 18-10-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets, Avs and Dallas Stars each have 38 points but Winnipeg takes over first place in the Central having won more games than the Stars while holding a game in hand over the Avs. Speaking of the Avalanche, defenseman Cale Makar missed this game with a lower-body injury.

As for the Stars, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues on an overtime goal by Colton Parayko. Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists as the Blues (15-14-1) overcame a 2-0 deficit. With 31 points, they sit one back of the Arizona Coyotes, who hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Mason Marchment potted his 10th goal of the season for the 17-8-4 Stars.

Speaking of the Coyotes, they got a 28-save shutout from Karel Vejmelka to blank the Buffalo Sabres 2-0. Clayton Keller and Liam O’Brien were the goal scorers for the 15-13-2 Coyotes. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 20 shots for the Sabres as they fell to 13-16-3.

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson made 33 saves in a 1-0 shutout of the Detroit Red Wings. Cam York tallied the only goal as the Flyers (17-10-3) moved ahead of the New York Islanders into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 37 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim missed this game due to an illness.

The Islanders, meanwhile, fell to the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 5-3. Josh Anderson scored twice in a four-goal second period for the Canadiens, who improved to 13-13-4. Brock Nelson netted two goals as the 14-8-8 Islanders (36 points) cut the lead to 4-3 before Christian Dvorak put the game away with an empty-netter late in the period.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros stopped 21 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Colton Sissons, Philip Tomasino and Yakov Trenin scored for the 18-13-0 Predators, who’ve won four straight and seven of their last 10 to hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 36 points. T.J. Oshie replied for the Capitals as they dropped to 14-9-4.

The Florida Panthers spanked the Edmonton Oilers 5-1. Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and set up another, Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists while Sergei Bobrovsky kicked out 38 shots for the Panthers (18-10-2), who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers as they slipped to 13-14-1 while Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers and Leafs have the same number of points but the latter hold two games in hand. Florida played without defenseman Aaron Ekblad (lower-body injury) while Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich remain sidelined with an undisclosed illness.

Calgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich tied a franchise record by scoring in his fifth straight game during his first season with the club as they doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Dan Vladar picked up the win by stopping 31 shots for the 12-14-5 Flames. Nikita Kucherov collected two assists as he remains atop the NHL scoring race with 52 points while his Lightning dropped to 14-13-5.

A shootout goal by Carl Grundstrom lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings (17-6-4) as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 38 points. Adam Larsson and Oliver Bjorkstrand replied for the Kraken as they dropped to 10-14-8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken played without winger Jordan Eberle as he was sidelined by a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes placed goaltender Antti Raanta on waivers Saturday. He’s struggled this season with a 3.61 goals-against average and a .854 save percentage.

TSN: Free-agent winger Phil Kessel is looking into the possibility of playing some games in Switzerland while still hoping for an opportunity to sign with an NHL club this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Kessel plays well overseas it could make him more enticing for NHL clubs seeking an experienced winger before the March 8 trade deadline.